Apparatus for handling sheet steel



July 16, 1935. J. A. CLAUSS 2,008,200

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING SHEET STEEL Filed July 50, 1932 INVENTOR Juli 1/5H. C'Za 1/55.

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TORN EYS.

eamed July 16, 1935 PATEANT OFFICE 2.008.200 APPARATUS FOR HANDLINGsmear swam.

Julius A. Clauss', Wyandotte, Mich., assignor to I Great Lakes SteelCorporation Application July so, 1932, sent! No. 626,741

2 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling sheet steel and isparticularly adaptable for use in mills where such sheets are produced,the principal object being the provision of a simple and efiicient meanswhich may be advantageously employed in connection with variousoperations on I steel sheets.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for supportingand conveying metallic sheets of paramagnetic character.

Another object is theprovision of a means for supporting and conveyingparamagnetic sheets and means cooperating therewith controlling theoperativeness of the supporting means whereby to enable the sheets beingconveyed to be deposited at a desired point.

Another object is the provision of a means for conveying paramagneticsheets including suitably arranged magnetic rolls adapted to hold thesheets against their lower surface due to the magnetic characteristicsof the rolls and to convey the sheets due to rotation of the rolls.

Another object is the provision of a means for automatically causing therolls to release the sheets including a stop in the path of movement ofthe sheets carried by the rolls and means operated by the stop forcontrolling the magnetism of the rolls. Another object is the provisionof a novel means in combination with a normalizing furnace "for steelsheets for automatically separating the prime steel sheets from thewaster sheets.

Another object is the provision of novel means for separating primesheets from waster sheets as such sheets are delivered from anormalizing furnace, and for depositing the respective types of sheetsin separate piles.

The above being among the objects of the present invention the sameconsists in novel features of construction and combinations of parts tobe hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing andthen claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment ofthe present invention and in which like numerals refer to like partsthroughout the'several different views,

Fig. 1 is avertical, longitudinal sectional view through a portion of anormalizing furnace and apparatus for conveying, separating and pilingthe prime sheets and waster sheets delivered therefrom.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 atand adjacent to that portion thereof employed for separating the wastersheets from the prime sheets. V

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partially broken, partially sectioned and more orless diagrammatic view illustrating the stop means for the prime 5 sheetpiling mechanism.

The present invention deals with a means for conveying paramagneticsheets by means of magnetic rolls or rollers which may be suitablydriven in any conventional manner and which hold the 10 sheets insuspension against their lower surface due to their magnetic attraction.A further feature of the invention is the provision of means forautomatically tie-magnetizing the roll where'- by to permit the sheetsto be piled in proper order 15 at a desired point. Obviously, thisinvention has a relatively wide application wherever paramagnetic sheetsare to be conveyedyparticularly in steel mills where such sheets aremade and, as will be more fully apparent from the specific ap- 20plicationof the invention to be hereinafter described, it isparticularly adaptable for use in connection with roller levellers,oiling machines, pilers, shears, normalizing furnaces and other uses.Because of the fact that'it is particularly 25 adaptable for use inconnection with the separation of prime sheets from waster sheets assuch sheets comefrom normalizing furnaces the present invention isillustrated herein in connection with a normalizing furnace, it. beingunderstood that in the broader aspects of the present invention, its useis not to be thus limited, but in certain narrower aspects of thepresent invention its application to a normalizing furnace involvescertain additional features of the present inven- 35 tion. ,Theapplication of the present invention to a normalizing fu'rnace followssomewhat the principle illustrated in the U. S. Patent No. 1,838,529,issued December 29, 1931, to R. S.- Cochrane and A. S. Larson, and itwill be apparent in the following description that its application tosuch an apparatus constitutes a material advance in the art.

In order to prevent the marring of the surface of the steel sheets beingproduced (usually known 45 as the work or as prime sheets) by theconveying mechanism in a normalizing furnace, and moreparticularly'whei'e sucli conveying mechanism comprises a bed of powerdriven discs, the practice is to support thesheets on carrier sheets 0known in theart as wasters or waster sheets. After the prime sheetssupported on the waster I sheets leave the furnace, it is necessary tosepa rate the prime sheets from the waster sheets and to form thesesheets in separate piles. Great care must be exercised in handling suchsheets as they come from a normalizing furnace so as to preventscratches from appearing on their surface and also to prevent the scalethereon from breaking or chipping off as such occurrence would cause thesheets where the scale has been removed to be etched'to a greater extentin the subsequent pickling bath than the remainder of the sheets, andthereby mar the desired smooth finish of the same.

Referring to the drawing the numeral l0 illustrates the discharge end ofa normalizing furnace, it being provided with a conveyor indicatedgenerally as at I I including a plurality of transverse shafts l2suitably supported for rotatable movement between side rails l3 andsupporting a plurality of axially spaced discs i4 which combine to forma bed or table for the reception and movement of the work. The shafts l2may be driven in unison by any suitable means such as sprockets l5 andchain l6. Supported on the discs l4 with in the furnace III are wastersheets 20, preferably having their ends overlapped as at 2| in Fig.1,

and supported on the waster sheets 20 is the work or prime sheets 22which have been put through the furnace ID for the purpose ofnormalizing the same. The waster sheets 20 are conventionally formed ofnon-magnetic material such as austenitic steel, it-being understood thatthe work or prime sheets are paramagnetic, or subject to magneticattraction.

Immediately beyond the last row of discs l4 at the discharge end of vtheconveyor ii an upwardly extending frame work 26 is provided havingcrossbars 28 bridging the side rails l3. Transverse rails 30 bridging therails 28 at either end of the frame work 26 rotatably support betweenthem a pair of horizontally extending magnetic rolls 32 which extendtransversely with respect to the line of travel of the sheets. Suchrolls are of conventional construction and accordingly it is notbelieved that a detailed description is necessary, it being understoodthat their magnetism may be induced by suitable electric currentenergizing coils within them, or the rollers can be magnetized by amagnetic unit 32' positioned above or outside the rolls. The lowersurfaces of the rolls 32 are positioned a slight distance above theplane of the upper surfaces of the work sheets 22 as they travel alongover the discs l4, and the rolls 32 are suitably driven as by means of amotor 34 in unison with each other and so that their peripheral speed isgreater than the peripheral speed of the discs l4.

The side rails l3 project at the discharge end of the conveyor ll beyondthe last of the discs l4 and to beyond the discharge side of themagnetic rolls 32, and on such ends support an apron member 38 whoseupper surface is slightly below the upper surface of the discs l4 andwhose advanced edge terminates under the right hand roll 32 (as viewedin Fig. 1) and in suitably V spaced relation with respect to the lastrow of side rails I3. The upper surface of the rolls 44 liesubstantially in the same plane as the upper surfaces of the discs l4and the first of the rolls 44 lies in proximity to the right hand end ofthe apron 38. The rolls 44 are all driven at the same speed as by meansof sprockets 46 cated generally as at 50 extends from a point inproximity to the upper surfaces of the last or right hand row of discs I4 downwardly to a point below therrolls 44; The conveyor ill is of thattype generally known as a gravity conveyor and in which'the rolls arenot driven mechanically but are freely rotatable and simply rotate whena sheet passes over them due to the friction between the rolls and thesheet. Immediately to the right of and below the right hand end of theconveyor 50 is located a suitable horizontal roller conveyorindicatedgenerally, as at 52 and which extends in a direction at right angles tothe conveyors H and 40. This roller conveyor is adapted toreceive thewaster sheets which are discharged down the roller conveyor 50, as willhereinafter be described more fully, and in order to insure the wastersheets piling evenly upon the conveyor 52 a stop member indicatedgenerally as at 54 is provided for this purpose.

At the discharge end of the conveyor 40 a pit 60 is formed in the floor.Positioned within the pit 60 is a jack or lift indicated generally as at62, shown as of the hydraulic type, which supports at its upper end apair of spaced parallel and horizontally extending roller conveyorsindicated generally as at 64 and which extend at right angles to thelength of the conveyor 40. The hydraulic lift 62 or its equivalent maybe of any conventional constructioncontrolled in the conventional mannerso that the height of the roller conveyors 64 may be easily and quicklycontrolled.

A frame work indicated generally as at 66 extends over the pit 60 and isemployed for suitably supporting a plurality of magnetic rolls 68 whichmay be identical to the rolls 32 previously described. These rollers maybe energized similarly to rolls 32, as for exampleby a magnet 68'. Thelower surfaces of the rolls 68 are positioned slightly above the uppersurfaces of the rolls 44 so that when the prime sheets 22 are deliveredby the conveyor to below the rolls 68, the rolls 68 may pick them up andcontinue to carry them in their direction of travel to a position overthe pit 60. It will be understood that the rolls 68 are suitably drivenin unison, as by a motor 10, and that their peripheral speed issubstantially the same as the peripheral speed of the rolls 32 and rolls44.

The rolls 68 are employed for carrying the prime sheets 22 over theroller conveyors 64 carried by the hydraulic lift 62, and means areprovided for breaking. the circuit to the rolls 68 when the sheets 22have reached their desired position so that the rolls 68 will lose theirmagnetism and permit the sheets 22 to drop by gravity'into the desiredposition. The mechanism for accomplishing this result is indicatedgenerally as at 12 in Fig. 1 and shown in greater detail in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 3 a supporting bracket such as 14 is secured in thedesired position to the frame work 66 by means of bolts 16 and nuts 18.The bracket 14 is provided with a central horizontal bore whose axis isparallel to the path of movement of the sheets 22 on the conveyorsheretofore described. The bore 80 slidably receives a shaft 82, to oneend of which is secured a strip-like or block-like stop member 84positioned in the plane of movement of the sheet 22 under the rollers68. A coil spring 86 surrounding the shaft 82 and part of the bracket 14is maintained under compression between the bracket I4 and the stopmember 84 and accordingly constantly urges the stop member and shaft 82to the left as viewed in Fig. 3. Nuts 88 adjustably secured to the righthand end of the shaft 82 limit the movement of the shaft 82 and stopmember 84 to the left as viewedin Fig. 3. The stop member 84 is providedwith a contact 90 which cooperates with another contact member 92carried by a bracket member 94 secured to a suitable part of the framework 66 for adjustment in the direction of the path of movement of thesheets 22. The adjustment of the bracket member 94 in the present caseis accomplished by the use of bolts 96 passing through a slot 98 in theframe work 66 and extending in the direction of movement of the primesheets 22. Suitable nuts I00 cooperating with the bolts 96 serve to lockthe bracket 9.4 and its contact 92 in adjusted position.

The contacts 90 and 92 are in series with a source of electrical energyI02 and preferably a relay I04 which inturn controls a circuit indicatedgenerally as at I06 which supplies the electrical energy to the rolls68. Although the contacts 90 and 92 are shown separated in Fig. 3, itwill be understood that normally these contacts are maintained inengagement with each other by the spring 86.

In theoperation of the above described apparatus, it will be understoodthat the waster sheets 20 and the prime sheets22 supported thereon aredelivered by the discs I4 from the furnace I0 to the right, as viewed inthe figures, and as these sheets travel to the right they pass under therolls 32 where the magnetism of the rolls 32 lifts the prime sheets 22 aslight amount and continues to move them to the right. The waster sheets20 being of non-magnetic material are not affected by the magnetism ofthe rolls 32 and consequently after they pass over the last row of discl4 their leading edge tips downwardly below the apron 38 and they arecaused to travel by gravity down the roller conveyor 50 and aredeposited upon the roller conveyor 52 as previously described. It is tobe understood, of course, that as soon as a pile of'waster sheets 22 onthe conveyor 52 has reached the desired height the pile is pushed to oneside and another pile is started.

The prime sheets 22 that are picked up and conveyed by the magneticrolls 32 are carried over the apron 38 and by the time the last edge ofthe sheets 22 lose their contact with the right hand I roll 32a-suflicient amount. of the same will have become supported by the rolls44 to insure their continued conveyance to the right.

The prime sheets 22 are conveyed by the rolls 44 to beneath the magneticrolls 68 which pick them up and continue to carry them to the right asviewed in the figures. This movement of the prime sheets 22undertherolls 68 continues until the sheets being conveyed strike against theblock 84 of the stop mechanism 12, as best illustrated in Fig. 3.

As soon as any sheet 22 being conveyed by the rolls 68 strikes the stopmember 84 it will urge the stop member 84 to the right and cause thecontacts 90'and 92 to be broken, whereupon the relay I04 will break thecircuit I06 controlling the supply of electrical energy to the-rolls68'. When this happens the rolls 68 immediately become demagnetized withthe result that the sheet 22 being supported thereby immediately freesitself of the rolls 68 and drops by gravity into the roller conveyor 64therebelow. The moment the sheet 22 drops from the rolls 68 the spring86 again causes the contacts 90 and 92 to reengage which again causesthe rolls 88 to be magnetized so as to pick up and convey the primesheet 22 next following, and the same operations are repeated.

It will also be understood that the hydraulic lift or jack 62 iscontrolled during the above described operation so that each sheet 22dropped from the rolls 68 will have a relatively small distance to dropupon the roller conveyor 64 so that no damage will occur to it whendropping, and as the pile of sheets 22 on the roller conveyor 64 buildsin height the lift 62 is operatedto lower the roller conveyor 64 so asto maintain suitable clearance between the upper surface of the pile ofsheets 22 thereon and the sheets 22 supported by the rolls 68 above it.As soon as a suitable pile of sheets 22 has built up on the rollerconveyors 64 the pile is shoved to one side, the lift 62 raised to theproper distance and a new pile started.

It will be apparent from the above that due to the fact that the workcomes into' direct contact with the. magnetized rolls a highly efficientconveyor is provided, and due to the fact that the sheets are held tothe underside of the rolls due to the magnetic attraction of the latter,and which magnetism is readily controlled, the apparatus readily adaptsitself to any use where paramagnetic sheets need to be conveyed and/orpiled.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the inventiondescribed without departing from the spirit and substance of the broadinvention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In' combination, a supporting structure, a plurality of parallel,electrically energized magnetic rolls rotatably supported thereby withthe lowermost lines of their surfaces lying substantially in a singleplane and substantially unobstructed therebelow for a material distancewhereby to enable them to hold a paramagnetic sheet against their undersides, means for driving said rolls at approximately equal peripheralspeeds, an electric circuit for supplying the magnetic energy to saidrolls, a switch mechanism for said circuit, a stop member in the planeof movement of a sheet suspended by and moved by said rolls, and anoperative connection between said stop member and said switch mechanism.

2. The combination with a conveyor adapted to convey fiat paramagneticsheets from a furnace,

said'conveyo r supporting sheets of other than paramagnetic material onwhich the paramagmeans for operatingsaid magnetic rolls at agreaterperipheral speed than that of a said conveyor. I

, JULIUS A. CLAUSS.

